More than a Hill of Beans: No Sew Fabric Wreath

 

I'm very excited about happening upon Vanessa Christenson's blog yesterday!  She's got a great sense of style and some awesome tutorials on her blog, including this No Sew Fabric Wreath that I've just added to my to-do list. 

Now, I'm stepping away from my computer so I'm not tempted to purchase one of the many tutorials for sale on her etsy site. 

More than a Hill of Beans: Sewing Machine Cookies

I apologize for not piling up the beans for the first time last week, but fear not!  I've got a peace offering of cookies this week...well, sort of:

Earlier this week, while perusing the website of one of my favorite local fabric shops, Spool, I found this adorable sewing machine cookie cutter.  Such a perfect shape for those of us sewing inclined, and these cookies must be "sew" much fun to decorate, not to mention eat!  I'll surely be picking up one of these the next time I'm over there!

More than A Hill of Beans: Loops and Purls

 

As a 'jill'-of-all-trades, I've some experience that long, stringy thing called yarn.  This is, if knitting a couple of scarves counts.  Unfortunately, I'm more into stitches and basting than loops and purls, which goes to say, I didn't make this adorable apple.  (I purchased it from Paige of Little Bird Crochet on Etsy who beautifully constructed it for me!)  In fact, I really don't know much about yarn crafts.  Knitting, crocheting, two needles, one needle, casting, purling...whatever....  But when I saw these Spiral Rib Leg Warmers on the Purl Bee, I was a little upset with my lacking talents. 

 

It just so happens that these are exactly what I was looking for!  (I was looking for legwarmers?!?)  With the Blizzard of 2010 heading up the east coast tonight, I can't hire someone fast enough to make me these.  So much for keeping my legs warm in the snow...

Not all is lost in my inability to knit.  In fact, I find it fortunate that I don't sew and knit.  I can only assume that while us quilt-y girls (and boys) love our fabric, those knit-ty girls probably love their yarn.  So while I'm keeping my home skein free, a girl can still dream.  If I could choose some yarn tonight, I might pick up some of these, also from PurlSoho, for my legwarmers:

 

True to the pattern:  Manos Del Uruguay 5-ply Merino in Dove

 

Farmhouse Yarns  Lumpy Bumpy in Burgundy

Lornas Laces  Fisherman in Firefly

More than a Hill of Beans: Eye Candy

For those of us who are blinder than bats (because they’re not actually blind!), I’m happy to think that glasses can be classified as ‘cool’ and ‘trendy.’ After buying my first pair of reading glasses this week, I decided that today’s “More than a Hill of Beans” should be all about some stylin’ frames, like the $195.00 Betsey Johnson's pictured above!!

I don’t need Tina Fey or Elton John to tell me that glasses are cool; I’ve been wearing glasses since third grade - of course they’re cool!  Unfortunately, my last visit to the eye doctor scored me some even thicker glasses…but at least I got new frames!

I also have been getting headaches for a while working at the computer…not very good when I sit in front of one practically 8 hours a everyday...so my Eye Doctor told me to try out some reading glasses. Here's the cheap drugstore pair I picked up:

(I'm thinking Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, watch it. I know you'll love it.)

I shopped online for some cooler reading glasses, and I found the $195.00 glasses above, as well as these more affordable frames.  What do you think??  They're a lot smaller that I thought I would be and I can still return them...So your opinion counts!

Or what maybe these frames by Goo Goo Eyes  from ReadingGlasses.com?

More Than a Hill of Beans: Basket Building

Ah, 4:30 on Friday and almost time to clock out...wait! It's Friday, and I haven't published (or authored for that matter) a Hill of Beans post. I'm certainly not starting my new trend out very well...hmm, something cool from this week...  Found it!

One of my co-workers sent me an email forward of the 15 Most Strange Buildings of the World. We chuckled over the overly-imaginative architecture, and I was surprised to find I actually been to one of the buildings! The one pictured above is Longaberger's Basket Building in the Middle of Nowhere, Ohio. I would know that it's in the Middle of Nowhere, because I've been there! But that's another story for another day!

Here's the list of other strange buildings from the email. Do some Google image searching and enjoy! You may even come across some stranger buildings!

15 Most Strange Buildings of the World

1. The Crooked House (Sopot, Poland) This one's my favorite!!

2. Forest Spiral - Hundertwasser Building (Darmstadt, Germany)

3. The Torre Galatea Figueres (Spain)

4. Ferdinand Cheval Palace a.k.a Ideal Palace (France)

5. The Basket Building (Ohio, United States)

6. Kansas City Public Library (Missouri, United States)

7. Wonderworks (Orlando, Florida, United States)

8. Habitat 67 (Montreal, Canada)

9. Cubic Houses (Rotterdam, Netherlands)

10. Hang Nga Guesthouse a.k.a Crazy House (Vietnam)

11. The Ufo House (Sanjhih, Taiwan)

12. Nakagin Capsule Tower (Tokyo, Japan)

13. Erwin Wurm: House Attack (Viena, Austria)

14. Wooden Gagster House (Archangelsk, Russia)

15. Ripley's Building (Ontario, Canada)

More Than a Hill of Beans: Where's My Rotary Cutter?

To start off the very first Friday blog feature, More Than a Hill of Beans, I’ve chosen to feature my very own blog, Where is My Rotary Cutter?!

Okay, so you probably think I'm a brat featuring my own blog, which I am, but seriously, it is a pretty cool blog about crafting, sewing, and the occasional yummy treat.   I love reading it; doesn’t everyone?!?

You know, I’m not always so self-centered. My blog isn’t always all about me. I’ve enjoyed posting entries that have shared my greater interest in the field of craft and crafts, and I've lovingly given recognition to others when it’s deserved! …oh. I get it. That’s what this “Friday Feature” post should be about…

Take a gander at my sidebar to the right. See the listing of websites entitled “Other place to go when you lose your rotary cutter??” Well, I’ve realized that the world of crafting is a lot more than those popular blogs sitting in my side bar (you know, the ones we all like to read and aspire to); the world of crafting is about you and me, making what we can in our spare time, between work and choir practice, walking the dog and taking the kids to the park; (or is it taking the kids for a walk and the dog to the park?) and our devotion to the handmade and, dare I say it, homemade world that keeps the spirit of craft alive.  We love being our own artists and artisans, not always purchasing items that are mass marketed and off an assembly line. It's us, and our little blogs and little internet shops, that are the most loyal and closest to the heart of the art form.  Where would those other blogs be if we weren't so devoted to reading them during our precious lunch breaks?!? 

So to my fellow crafters, soak this all up, and become a part of my blog!  I’m inviting anyone with a crafty blog, and, of course, a loyal follower of this blog, to be added to my sidebar.  Just leave me a comment with your blog site. I can’t wait to make this blog feature a little more of all of us! 

*** This year, to make my life a little easier and yours a little more interesting, I've decided to provide my own rendition of the ever-so-popular "Friday Feature." Not only is it a chance for me to take a little break at the end of the week, after all, it is Friday, but also a chance to for me to share something “cool” I’ve seen during the week.  In the spirit of SewBeans, this More Than a Hill of Beans blog post will appear usually on Fridays and spotlight something or someone in the arts, crafts and/or design worlds. ***